White House Correspondents’ Dinner 2026 Events On D.C.’s Big Weekend

A prevailing theme of this year’s White House Correspondents’ Association dinner will be how journalists make a statement in the presence of Donald Trump, whose attacks on the media have come in the form of social media posts and outbursts, but also more serious lawsuits and regulatory action.

Outside of the dinner itself, the weekend will look like it always has: Packed with cocktail parties, receptions, dinners, seminars and other events, often to promote media and tech brands. Standing out this year is a Georgetown fete being hosted by Grindr, the LGBTQ dating and hookup app.

UTA and CAA are each hosting receptions the night before the dinner, as they have in past years. WME Entertainment is making a donation to the Freedom of the Press Foundation, in lieu of a party. The donation will support the foundation’s Digital Security Training Program, which helps journalists protect themselves and their sources online.

Other events are kept on the QT, such as Paramount CEO David Ellison’s dinner “honoring the Trump White House and CBS White House correspondents.” That Thursday evening event is being held at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace.

Despite the heavy lineup, not expected are a flood of Hollywood celebrities, as was seen during Joe Biden and Barack Obama’s presidencies.

Here’s a rundown of many of the events. All times ET:

Thursday

NBC News Common Ground. Kristen Welker, Lester Holt, Mike Tirico and Steve Kornacki host a live event with guests Sen. John Fetterman (D-PA), Sen. Katie Britt (R-AL), Rep. Debbie Dingell (D-MI), Rep. Nicole Malliotakis (R-NY), NASA Administrator Jared Isaacman, astronaut Suni Williams, NBA commissioner Adam Silver, Olympic gold medalist Elana Meyers Taylor and U.S. soccer champion Brandi Chastain. 4 p.m., Johns Hopkins University Bloomberg Center

Status WHCD Kickoff Event. The media newsletter hosts an evening reception. 8 p.m., the Wharf.

The Green Room. Ireland hosts a reception at the residence of Ambassador Geraldine Byrne Nason. 7 p.m.

Love It Or Leave It Live in DC. Crooked Media’s Jon Lovett hosts a live taping of his show, with guests Jake Tapper, Symone Sanders Townsend, Eugene Daniels and Sen. Chris Murphy (D-CT). 8 p.m., Lincoln Theatre.

Friday

Future Correspondents’ Brunch. MS NOW hosts students from Howard University, Georgetown University, The George Washington University and American University, focused on the next generation of journalists. Jen Psaki moderates a panel conversation, followed by small-group mentor discussions.

Crooked Media Drinks. The Pod Save America team hosts a pre-dinner reception. 5:30 p.m.

British Ambassador Reception. Christian Turner and Lady Turner host a reception at the ambassador’s residence, in partnership with Brunswick Group and Daily Mail. 7 p.m.

YouTube Reception. The streaming giant hosts a reception with news and politics creators. 5:30 p.m., Georgetown.

A Celebration of Journalism. Beehiiv and Shinola host a cocktail reception. 5 p.m., Logan Circle.

White House Correspondents’ Reception. The Motion Picture Association and America250 host a reception at the trade association headquarters. 5:30 p.m.

Creative Coalition Night Before Dinner. The artists’ advocacy group hosts its annual dinner. Those expected include Michael Chiklis, Michelle Chiklis, Creative Coalition president Tim Daly, Wendie Malick, Pamela Adlon, Zachary Levi, Iain Armitage, William Stanford David, Asher Grodman, Rob Morrow, Rebecca Wisocky, Jazz Raycole and CEO Robin Bronk. 6:45 p.m., Penn Quarter.

Vanity Fair/CAA Reception. VF and CAA host an event at the residence of Belgian Ambassador Frédéric Bernard, toasting the weekend and WHCA president Weijia Jiang. 7:30 p.m.

UTA Celebration Of America’s Journalists. The agency hosts its annual fete in Georgetown. 9 p.m.

Saturday

White House Correspondents’ Garden Brunch. Tammy Haddad, Kevin Sheekey, Mark and Sally Ein, David Urban, Jon Banner and Franco Nuschese host their annual pre-dinner brunch in Georgetown. 11 a.m.

White House Correspondents’ Association Dinner. The annual event at the Washington Hilton starts at 8 p.m. ET, with C-SPAN presenting red carpet coverage starting at 6 p.m. ET, followed by the dinner at 8 p.m. Highlights include the presentation of journalism awards and scholarships, remarks from the WHCA president, remarks from President Donald Trump and entertainment from mentalist Oz Pearlman. Media outlets including ABC News and CBS News host pre-dinner receptions at the hotel. 6 p.m.

New Media Party. Substack hosts an event during the dinner. 8 p.m., Renwick Gallery of the Smithsonian American Art Museum.

The After Party. NBC News and Telemundo host a party at the residence of French Ambassador Laurent Bili. 11:30 p.m., Kalorama.

Democracy After Hours. MS NOW hosts an afterparty at the Dupont Underground. 11 p.m., Dupont Circle.

Time/Swiss Ambassador Afterparty. Time holds an afterparty at the residence of Swiss Ambassador Ralf Heckner and Ilaria Macconi Heckner. 11 p.m.

Sunday

CNN WHCD Weekend Finale. The network holds an event at the residence of British Ambassador Christian Turner. 11:30 a.m.